08 April 2025

Tourism – Ireland’s largest indigenous industry

The recent global economic shock caused by President Trump’s tariffs has caused significant uncertainty to Ireland’s export industries and FDI model. The Irish Government will be anxious to minimise the fallout from this new economic environment. To that end there is a strong argument for a renewed focus and attention on indigenous Irish industries – nurturing them, bolstering their competitiveness, and ensuring that policies are in place to support them during these challenging times.

Ireland’s tourism and hospitality sector has long been known as the country’s largest indigenous industry and biggest regional employer. This is underpinned by a variety of data sources including recent bespoke research by Jim Power Economics for the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC). This short bulletin from ITIC looks at the value of tourism, employment numbers by region, the industry’s contribution to the exchequer, and the sector’s vital part in the national economy.

CLICK HERE for this report.